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Marlins Losing Ground; Could Shift to Division Be The Way?
No matter how many games the Marlins win, it just seems like the Rockies mirror them. When the Marlins lose, that’s when the Rockies let up and lose. It is a shell game right now for the NL Wildcard. The Marlins sit 5 games out and have the San Francisco Giants merged between them and the leading Rockies.
Is this still a realistic possibility?
There are 26 games left for the Fish. That means they will have to win 18 of them to hit that 90 win plateau, making them have to go 18-8 the rest of the way. That would then mean the Rockies would have to go 13-13 just to force things into a tie to end the season (the Rockies also have 26 games remaining). For a team 17 games over .500, that doesn’t seem to be a likely expectation at this point of the season.
There is still a chance for the Marlins to creep into the wildcard, but yesterday’s blown opportunity by Leo Nunez certainly didn’t help matters.
Yet, what about the division itself? The Phillies are 6 games ahead of the Marlins and at one point, as recent as a few weeks ago, they were looking like the team of destiny from the NL East. All of a sudden, they have lost a few games and the Marlins were able to make up ground. Remember, these two teams have unfinished business at the end of the season – they square off 6 times to end the season. If the Marlins can make up a few more games, say, get it down to a 3 game deficit, they could win 5 of those games and take the lead.
In order for the Marlins to have any chance for the postseason, they have to win each series they play and pick up a few sweeps. A series win each time out would mean 16 wins to end the season. They need to somehow get 18 to hit the 90 win mark, which is usually where the wildcard leader ends up with. The fact that they play the Mets and Nationals a few more times (Mets twice, Nats once) helps. Also, the Marlins may get help from the Cardinals as their success may have them start shutting it down at the end of the season – which increases the Marlins’ chances for a series win there, too.
It’s a tall order, but that is to be expected of a playoff run. The Rockies and Giants also have their work cut out for them, too. The Marlins need a few breaks and really haven’t gotten any yet. They have played their way into the chase but the distance seems to be growing quickly.
Chris Coghlan: Rookie of the Year?
I know it may be a stretch at this point, but in a month or so you can point back to this blog and say, “Ahh! There’s a man of vision!” Well, that too might be a stretch, but no one can deny that Chris Coghlan is quietly putting together an impressive body of work in this his rookie campaign.
One of the most difficult things to do in all of sports is hit a baseball. Add to the fact that you have to lead off and set the table for your team’s offense and you got quite a responsibility. Oh, and you’re a rookie.
Let’s get the bio out of the way – Coghlan is 24 and was drafted in the supplemental draft in 2006 out of Mississippi. Incidentally, the kid is a Florida native, hailing from Palm Harbor. Called up on May 8th against the Rockies, Coghlan made an immediate impact going 2/4 and scoring a run. Currently, the rookie is on a hitting streak – which set a franchise record for multiple hit games in a row with 8. He has a chance to extend that record tonight against the Astros.
Perhaps the acquisition of Nick Johnson has helped his bat. Is is a coincedence that his current hitting streak extends back to the Nick Johnson debut? His average has risen from .255 to .285, scoring 8 runs along the way.
Whose the competition? Let’s take a look and you decide:
- Andrew McCutchen- Pirates
- Dexter Fowler – Rockies
- Casey McGehee – Brewers
- Gerardo Parra – Diamondbacks
- Colby Rasmus – Cardinals (a preseason favorite)
- Garrett Jones – Pirates
- J.A. Happ – Phillies
Right now, the front runner has to be J.A. Happ. He is pitching really well for the division leading Phillies. As for the other candidates, there is no one who really stands out. Looking at the stats, the rookie with the most home runs was Rasmus with 11 homers, but is only batting .248. Rasmus was an early pick for the ROY, along with Cameron Maybin.
McCutchen has exploded onto the seen, but his limited time in the bigs may hurt his final numbers – but he has the best overall line of the group .292 AVG, 7 HRs, 9 SBs and 40 RBIS. Dexter Fowler has 26 SBs, but is only hitting .265. McGehee has 9 homers and a .308 AVG which on those numbers alone could make him a close 2nd behind Happ. Parra’s line is .293 with 5 home runs and 5 SBs, 41 RBIs.
Then there is Garrett Jones, who is hitting .291 with 12 home runs. His 19 RBIs seems ridiculous to look at considering his power production and that may adversely affect his consideration for the top spot in the NL. Then again he didn’t make his debut until July 1st and already has passed by Rasmus.
Coghlan has some very good stats that compare favorably. With a .285 AVG, 7 home runs, and 44 runs, he is definitely in the mix. The question is, can he separate himself from the pack and even stave off the potentially gawdy numbers of Jones, Happ and even McCutchen? With the 8 game multiple hit streak going, this may be his chance to shine. The addition of Nick Johnson certainly has helped Coghlan and if he continues on this pace, he could end up with the hardware at the end of the season.
Marlins Sweep Their Way Back Into Hunt
They left Washington, DC in a cloud of embarassment, frustration, and confusion. They left Philadelphia booming with confidence and sensing the urgency of the playoff push upon them – with great promise.
How can a team turn things around so quickly, so suddenly? That is baseball, and in a marathon season like this, it is a series, not a game, that can determine the success of a season.
Winning teams play winning baseball all the time. They don’t make stupid mistakes and they don’t allow themselves to beat themselves. The Marlins did just that in this series in Philadelphia as they limited the effectiveness of their hitters, allowing only 1 home run in this series. Credit must be given to the bullpen as they were able to pick up the pieces in a jagged start from rookie Sean West, who pitched admirably considering the position he was in. Ricky Nolasco and Josh Johnson also turned in excellent performances, giving their team the strong pitching that they need to build a win.
The offense has been much more effective, also, due in large part to the contributions of Nick Johnson, whose OBP is a whopping .571 and a .364 average in the number 2 slot. Scoring 4 runs, drawing 10 walks to his 3 strikeouts, and knocking in 4 RBIs is showing up in the week-long tenure of the former Nat’s firstbaseman. The Marlins scored 21 runs in this series with the Phillies, with 19 hits coming today in the contest against their nemesis Jamie Moyer. The Marlins seemed to figure him out today, too.
This was a crucial series. The Fish knew it, too. Now, they sit only 4 games in back of the Phillies instead of what could have been 8 games or so if they had continued the slide they were in during the Washington series. Wes Helms knew, “You’re never out of it to the end, but I think this sweep has desperately rescued us big time.” Indeed.
It was a feel good game for several reasons, too. Chris Coghlan broke the franchise record for most consecutive games with multiple hits with 8, getting past the old franchise record of 7 set by Juan Pierre (twice) in 2004 and Miguel Cabrera in 2006. Both Pierre and Coghlan, incidentally, were leading off the for their Marlins, too. It was also good to see the Marlins get by Moyer finally, but they may have sent him into the bullpen for good as Pedro Martinez is waiting for his call and may take Moyer’s spot, now.
It was also very good for the fact that umpire Ed Rapuano tossed Marlin-killer Shane Victorino in the 7th inning for whining over balls and strikes – from center field. And let’s not forget that catch by Jeremy Hermida that probably got Victorino hot.
The Marlins seemed to solidify several things coming out of this series – their offense is getting better as a result of the Nick Johnson trade. Emilio Bonifacio is actually playing better as a reserve now. The bullpen is really coming together with a collection of experienced veterans showing the younger relievers how to go about their business day to day. It seems that the Marlins are hitting their stride despite the setback of being swept by the Nationals (who are on an 8 game winning streak, by the way). Teams in their respective playoff races better take notice, the Marlins are here for the haul.
Marlins Go for Sweep But Will Stare Down Nemesis
He’s in his mid 40s, has an easy delivery and throws in the mid 80s. Not exactly the kind of pitcher you’d expect to dominate a team. And not just dominate, but ridiculously dominate.
Jamie Moyer, apologies to Jeffery Loria, owns the Marlins. The Fish have just taken two games from the Phillies in this crucial road series just after getting swept by the Phillies. Something has got to give – how fun would it be to not only see the Marlins sweep the Phillies, but to do it against the man who has owned them throughout his career?
With the win tonight the Marlins got their 57th win and improved to only 5 games in back of the World Champs. A win tomorrow would put the Marlins 4 games in back with plenty of baseball left to be played. They got Josh Johnson on the mound, who looked great against Washington through 7 innings but melted down in the 8th on his way to what looked like his 11th win on the season. 1pm tomorrow, Marlins take on Jamie Moyer and the Phillies.
Marlins Start With Win; Sean West Recalled
The Marlins (that’s right, with all the vowels back in place) started off their series with the Phillies with a win. Very important because those three games they lost to the Nationals damaged their chances in the standings, but with every win against Philly the Marlins gain a game. Now at 56-53, the Marlins are at 6 games in back of the Phillies.
Don’t get delusional just yet – the Marlins have a chance to leave Philly being only 4 games back, sure, but they still have to eek out two more wins against the World Champs at their home field. The Phillies, however, don’t have a strong record at home but prefer to play on the road. At home the Phillies are 29-27 while on the road they are 32-19. Marlins have a better shot of beating the Phillies on the road, strange as it sounds.
Sean West Recalled
Sean West was recalled by the Marlins to start on Saturday. Who was moved? Luis Ayala was optioned to AAA NOLA and appeared in 9 games pitching 7.1 innings. He gave up 7 runs on 8 hits over that span, but with Matt Lindstrom back it seems the Marlins needed to focus on getting some starters in here (remember that Burke Badenhop is still on the DL).
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